The Toronto Maple Leafs were knocked out of Stanley Cup contention by the Boston Bruins on May 4 so the next thing in the franchise agenda was the final media availability of the season, held on Monday, May 6.
One of the most anticipated interviews was the one related to underperforming Leafs forward Mitch Marner, who finished the playoffs with just 3 points through Game 7 of the first-round series ending in another early elimination.
Based on Marner’s responses to reporters covering the event, the Leafs superstar seemed sure about staying in Toronto as he enters the final season under contract with the organization.
“That would be the goal,” Marner told reporters on May 6 when asked if he wants to be with Toronto long term. “I’ve expressed my love for this place, this city. Obviously, I grew up here.
“I’ll start thinking about (a contract extension) now and try to figure something out.”
Marner will become an unrestricted free agent in July 2025. His current contract includes a full no-move clause (NMC), however, meaning he can block any trade and put Toronto in a difficult position during the next few months leaving no room for the franchise to deal him away and retool the roster unless he wants to help.
Will Mitch Marner & Maple Leafs Enter a Cold Ward?
Marner’s intention of signing a contract extension with the Leafs can be seen as a logical decision or a surprising one, depending on how you look at it.
Following a rough playoff series against the Bruins that sent Toronto home before advancing past the first round for the seventh time in eight years, Marner has surely heard the critics.
That, however, doesn’t seem to have impacted his mindset and his plans going forward. If Marner wants to stay in Toronto and the Leafs want to sign him, the franchise might actually find itself in a prime position to ink the forward to a cheaper extension as Marner doesn’t have a desire to leave.
If Toronto wants to explore the possibility of moving on from him, however, things can get difficult.
Marner could make it hard for Toronto to find a trade partner by blocking any move he’s not interested in because of the NMC baked into his current contract. He could also hurt the Leafs’ potential trade return as he holds all the leverage and teams would take advantage of Toronto’s precarious, “desperate-sale” approach to trading Marner.
This, however, doesn’t mean Marner is a clear-cut winner in this situation. The Maple Leafs could just keep waiting while trying to negotiate a lower-value deal with him before next year’s trade deadline, limit his minutes on the ice, and in a worst-case scenario ostracize him trying to force Marner to accept a trade somewhere–anywhere.
Mitch Marner’s Leafs Teammates Back Him Up Following Criticism
While Marner’s defensive contributions through the seven-game series the Leafs played against Boston were notable, his offensive production was subpar at best, and nightmarish at worst.
Marner finished the 2024 postseason with just 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) in seven games even though he played 149 minutes, the most among forwards by a sizable 16-minute margin over center John Tavares (133).
All players from the Leafs talking to reporters on Monday, May 6, praised Marner’s efforts and did not seem unhappy about his performance in the playoffs. They attributed the elimination to the whole group, not just the winger.
“During my time here, I've come to understand that there's always someone to blame,” Auston Matthews told the press on May 6. “There's always a story, there's always something. But we care for (Marner).”
“He's an amazing person, a friend,” Morgan Rielly mentioned on Monday. “We really like the guy. Someone always faces criticism here, regardless of the situation, but we care for him.”
In eight playoffs with Toronto (seven ending in the first round, the other in the second round), Marner leads all Leafs with 50 points in 57 playoff games.
As the only “core four” member of the Leafs with his contract expiring after next season and still young at 27 years old, Marner seems to be the odd one out within the organization. Insiders believe the Leafs will attempt to trade him this summer.
Bleacher Report’s Joe Yerdon listed a few teams, including the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks as a possible destination for Marner if he agrees to waive his NMC.
